Buttery, Flaky Croissant Recipe
Buttery, Flaky Croissant Recipe
Croissants are one of those pastries that are flaky and buttery deliciousness.
While they might seem intimidating at first, making croissants at home is less about difficulty
and more about patience and technique.
A great croissant is a simple dough made from flour, yeast, water, milk, honey, sugar, and salt.
What transforms this dough into croissants is the lamination process—folding cold butter into the dough multiple times to create dozens of thin, alternating layers.
As the croissants bake, the butter melts and releases steam, lifting the layers into that signature croissant structure.
One of the most important tips when making croissants is to keep everything cold.
The butter should remain firm but pliable, and the dough should be chilled between each fold.
If the butter gets too soft, it will blend into the dough instead of forming layers, and you’ll lose that flaky texture.
Work with a cold dough and refrigerate the dough in between folds.
After rolling out the laminated dough, you cut it into long triangles and gently roll each one from base to tip, creating that classic shape OR you can cut the dough into rectangular pieces and fill the dough with chocolate to make pain au chocolate.
At this stage, you can also get creative—fill them with chocolate, almond paste, or even savory ingredients like cheese.
The final proofing stage is key to achieving light, airy croissants.
They should look puffy and slightly jiggly before going into the oven.
Once baked, they turn a deep golden brown with crisp edges and a soft, honeycomb-like interior.
Croissant Recipe
For the dough:
500 g flour / (4 cups)
1 large egg
110 g water / (1/2 cup)
110 g milk / (1/2 cup)
2 1/2 tsp dry yeast
40 g sugar / (3 tbsp)
20 g honey / (2 tbsp)
9 g salt / (1 1/2 tsp)
40 g butter / (3 tbsp)
Folding butter:
200 g butter (1 cup + 6 tbsp)
For the dough:
Mix water, milk, dry yeast, honey and sugar together.
In a stand mixer bowl combine wet mixture and egg together.
Add in flour and mix with a hook attachment for 3 or 4 min.
Add in salt.
Add butter and mix for 6 or 10 min.
Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature.
For folding butter:
Press the butter into square shape using a parchment paper and a rolling pin.
Laminating the butter and dough:
Roll out the dough twice the size of the butter block.
Sandwich the butter within the dough layers.Refrigerate the dough.
Roll out the dough and make a single fold.Refrigerate the dough.
Make sure to rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll out the other way.
Make a double fold and refrigerate.
Roll out the dough and cut triangles and roll.
For pain au chocolate cut rectangles and fill with chocolate and roll.
Proofing and baking:
Arrange croissants onto a parchment lined baking pan.
Let the croissants proof until doubled in size.
Brush with egg wash.
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F and bake for about 20 to 22 minutes
depending on the size of your croissants.
Single Fold Double Fold
